Anchor suspension and securing device



Sept. 27., 1955 r A. P. KURZMANN ANCHOR SUSPENSION AND SECURING DEVICE Filed Feb. 18, 1953 IN V ENTOR.

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States Patent @fiice 2,718,865 Patented Sept. 27, 1955 ANCHOR SUSPENSION AND SECURING DEVICE Albert P. Kurzmann, Battle Creek, Mich.

Application February 18, 1953, Serial No. 337,557

2 Claims. (Cl. 114210) This invention relates in general to a device for adjustably suspending and securing a boat anchor and more particularly to a type thereof by which said anchor is belayed above the water line and clear of the gunwale of said boat completely by remote control.

Persons acquainted with the use of anchors for small boats are generally familiar with the problem of temporarily stowing the boat anchor between movements about a body of Water, especially while fishing. If the anchor, after raising, is permitted to hang alongside the boat during such movements, it bounces against the gunwale and usually inflicts damage thereupon. If it is lifted into the boat, it carries water and often dirt with it. Furthermore, since the anchor line is usually secured to the prow of the boat, someone must walk to the prow to lift the anchor into the boat. Such action, particularly in rough water, has resulted in capsizing the boat and even drowning the boatman.

A variety of elaborate pulley systems have been contrived in an effort to overcome the above inconveniences and dangers. However, insofar as I know, none of these systems has ever overcome the problems satisfactorily.

Accordingly, a primary object of my invention is the provision of an anchor suspension and securing device which completely eliminates the inconveniences and dangers above mentioned.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device, as aforesaid, which belays an anchor for a small boat well above the water line, clear of the gunwale and outside the boat.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device, as aforesaid, by which such belaying or its release can be accomplished remotely and without necessitating movement of the boat occupants from their seats.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device, as aforesaid, which in its basic concept is applicable to any of a variety of conventional anchors for small boats.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device, as aforesaid, which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to mount and simple to operate.

Other objects and purposes will be apparent to persons familiar with this type of equipment upon reading the following specification and examining the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation View of my invention mounted upon the prow of a boat, and disposed in the anchor suspending position.

Figure 2 is a partially broken side view of my invention disposed in the anchor belaying position.

Figure 3 is a top view of my invention.

Figure 4 is a top view of my invention with the anchor engaging lever removed.

Figure 5 is a sectioned view taken along the line VV of Figure 3.

General description In meeting the objects and purposes set forth above, as well as others associated therewith, I have provided an assembly comprised of an anchor engaging lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends upon one end of a mounting bracket securable at its other end to a boat. An arm extending from said mounting bracket is provided with means for positively engaging an anchor line which extends over a pulley mounted upon the upper end of said lever.

For the purpose of convenience in description, the terms upper, lower, outer, inner, right, left, and derivations thereof, will be used herein'with reference to the assembly as appearing in Figure l, and with further reference to the boat with which it is used. Such terms are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Detailed description As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the anchor suspension and securing device or assembly 10 has a mounting bracket 11 and an anchor engaging lever 12. The mounting bracket is preferably comprised of a pair of parallel metal bars 13 and 14 which are held in spaced relationship by means of the metal spacers 15. Said spacers (Figures 2 and 4) are secured to said bars, as by welding, adjacent the lower longitudinal edges thereof. The spacers are provided with openings 16 through which screws 17 may be inserted for securing the bracket 11 to any convenient part of a boat 18. In this embodiment, the bracket 11 is mounted upon the prow of the boat for illustrative purposes only.

A pair of parallel, upstanding lever supports 21 are secured, as by welding, to the outer ends of the bars 13 and 14. The lever bar 12 is pivotally supported intermediate its ends, but somewhat closer to its upper end, upon a pivot bolt 22 which extends between and is removably secured to the lever supports 21. Said bolt 22 and said lever 12 are so mounted with respect to each other and upon the supports 21 that said lever can be pivoted from its position in Figure l to the terminal position in Figure 2 with respect to the bracket 11. The lever is arranged for movement through an arc in excess of from said terminal position.

A pair of pulley arms 23 are secured to the upper end of the lever 12, as by welding, and extend away from the bracket 11. It has been found advantageous, but not absolutely necessary, to dispose said arms 23 at an angle of about away from said lever 12. A pulley 24 is rotatably supported in a conventional manner between the outer ends of said arms but spaced from said ends thereof to provide guides for the anchor line 25. The arms 23 are preferably about the same length as the distance between the pivot bolt 22 and the upper end of the lever 12.

The lower end of the lever 12 is provided with a plurality of spaced, in-line bolt openings 26. An anchor embracing member 27 is removably securable to said lever 12 by means of a bolt 28 extendable through the openings 26 and corresponding openings in said embracing member. In this embodiment, the embracing member 27 is fabricated from a metal bar bent into a semicircle. The recess 30 receives the lever 12.

The embracing member 27 is particularly adapted for use with a conventional cylindrical anchor 29 usually made by pouring concrete into a gallon can and imbedding a U-shaped wire bail 31 in said concrete. However, it will be recognized that the member 27 can be readily replaced by modified members to engage and embrace various other types of anchors. Such replacement and modification is intended to lie within the scope of this invention. It will also be seen that more than one member 27 can be secured to said lever 12 simultaneously, if desired.

A pair of securing posts 32 and 33 are fastened to the bars 13 and 14, respectively, of the mounting bracket 11, as by welding. These posts extend upwardly from said bars and are disposed from the bifurcated end 19 so that they will be close to, but spaced from, the outer or upper ends of the arms 23 when the lever 12 is in said terminal position (Figure 2). The posts are preferably approximately co-extensive with the arms 23 when said lever 12 is in said terminal position.

A jamb cleat 34, comprised of a jamb plate 35 and cooperating pawl 36, which may be serrated on its line engaging side, is secured between the upper ends of the posts 32 and 33. The pawl is pivotally supported upon said posts in a conventional manner above the jamb plate. Said jamb cleat is arranged for releasably preventing movement of the line 25 in the rightward or outer direction (Figure 2. The jamb plate is secured to said posts, as by welding, so that its line engaging or upper surface is preferably disposed slightly below the upper edge of the groove in the pulley 24 when positioned as shown in Figure 2.

The line 25 is secured to the bail 31 whence it extends over the pulley 24, between the outer ends of the arms 23, and between the pawl 36 and jamb 35.

Operation The mounting bracket 11 of the assembly is secured to a selected part, such as the prow, of a boat 18 by the screws 17 so that the bifurcated end 19 of said bracket 11 extends beyond said boat. The lever 12 may be pivotally attached to said end 19 before or after said securement is accomplished. The embracing member 27, one or more, is positioned upon the lever 12, according to the type and size of anchor which it is to engage and embrace. The anchor line 25 is threaded over the pulley 24 and through the jamb cleat 34 and the assembly is ready for use. The outermost spacer 15, that is, the rightwardmost as appearing in Figures 3 and 4, is so located as to limit the clockwise motion of the lever 12 and hold its lower end away from contact with the stem of the boat.

The jamb cleat permits free movement of the line 25 leftwardly (Figure 1) whereby the anchor 29"is raised. Due to the described arrangement of the assembly, and

I particularly the lever 12, the forces involved during such raising action tend to hold the lever 12 in the position of Figure 1. When the raising is stopped intermediate its completion, the jamb cleat grips the line 25, thereby preventing a lowering of the anchor, and the lever 12 remains about as positioned in Figure 1. If desired, the anchor can be lowered again by raising, and pulling slightly on, that end of the line 25 leftwardly of the jamb cleat 34. This will disengage the cleat and, as long as said end of said line is held high, will permit said line to pass rightwardly through said cleat at the urging of the anchors weight.

When it becomes necessary to belay the anchor 29, the line 25 is pulled through the cleat 34 until the upper end of the anchor engages the pulley 24 or arms 23. Further pulling on the line causes the lever 12 to pivot about the bolt 22 untilthe embracing member 27 engages the anchor 29. This is followed by continued pivoting of the lever 12 until it is in its terminal or horizontal position (Figure 2) with the anchor cradled in the member 27. Upon release of the tension on the leftward end of the line, the jamb cleat 34 will engage same and prevent movement of said lever and said anchor out of said terminal position.

As noted in Figure 2, the anchors center of gravity C. G. is disposed outwardly of the pivot bolt 22 when said anchor is in the belayed position, above the waterline and clear of the boat. Thus, upward movement of the line 25, which releases the cleat 34, will permit the lever to pivot clockwise (Figures 1 and 2) until it reaches the position in Figure 1 and the anchor can again be lowered. The free, leftward end of the line 25 can be raised or snapped upwardly enough to disengage the jamb cleat 34, in a conventional manner, by a person 4 seated in the boat. Further, said free end of said line can, if desired, be hitched to a seat, oar lock, or other projection in the boat for additional security without inconveniencing the occupants of the boat.

Accordingly, it has been disclosed that the entire operation of my anchor suspension and securing device can be accomplished by the occupants of a boat without leaving their seats. Further, my invention provides means whereby an anchor of any conventional type can be remotely raised, lowered, and delayed clear of the boat and above the water line.

Although the above mentioned drawings and preceding description apply to a particular, preferred embodiment 0 fthe invention, it will be recognized that variations and modifications, several of which have been suggested, can be made in this apparatus Without departing from the scope of the invention unless specifically stated to the contrary in the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for adjustably suspending and securing with respect to a boat, an anchor attached to a line, the combination comprising: a mounting bracket securable to said boat and having a portion extending horizontally away from said boat; a lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends upon the extended portion of said bracket for movement about a point fixed with respect to and externally of said boat, said lever being movable from a terminal position substantially parallel with said portion of said bracket through an arc'in excess of about a pulley, and means supporting said pulley upon one end of said lever and away from said bracket for rotation in the plane of said arc; anchor engaging means secured to the other end of said lever, the center of gravity of said anchor being disposed horizontally, externally of said boat when said lever is in said terminal position and said anchor is in its fully raised position; line gripping means and means fixed with respect to said boat for supporting same on said bracket in the direc tion of, and in the plane of, said are and spaced from said pulley and the adjacent end of said lever when in said terminal position, the pivotal movement of said lever into said terminal position being effected by said line when said anchor is in said raised position.

2. A device for adjustably suspending and securing with respect to a boat, an anchor attached to a line, the combination comprising: a bracket securable to a boat and having a bifurcated end portion extending horizontally away from said boat; a lever bar pivotally supported intermediate its ends within said bifurcation for movement about a point fixed With respect to and externally of said boat, said lever being pivotable from a terminal position substantially parallel with the extent of said end portion through an arc in excess of 90; a pulley and arms secured to one end of said lever sup- .porting said pulley away from said bracket for rotation in the plane of said are; anchor engaging means removably secured to the other end of said lever, the center of gravity of said anchor being disposed horizontally, externally of said boat when said lever is in said terminal position and said anchor is adjacent said pulley; a jamb cleat for releasably gripping said line and means fixed with respect to said boat for supporting said jamb cleat upon said bracket in the plane of, and in the direction of, said are and spaced from said pulley and the adjacent one end of said lever when said lever is in said terminal position, said line effecting pivotal movement of said lever when, and only when, said anchor is adjacent said pulley.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,636,944 Schuman July 26, 1927 1,640,671 Schauman Aug. 30, 1927 2,283,500 Holgerson May 10, 1942 

